SDI Boss Blasts Sierra Leone Police

SDI Boss Blasts Sierra Leone Police

Head of the Society for Democratic Initiatives (SDI), legal luminary Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai, has described the attitude of the Sierra Leone Police as outdated, draconian and not necessary in a Democracy.

He made the statement past Thursday while speaking on the issue of freedom of assembly during the launching of the Defending Civil Society Report, 2016.

The SDI boss made it clear that citizens have the right to process noting that what is deemed by the police as asking permission for the holding of any procession is a misunderstanding of the law.

Abdulai explained that what citizens do when they go to the police on any matter of procession is that they are only asking the police to provide them with security for the procession and not asking for a permit. He pointed out that the constitution of Sierra Leone gives citizens the right to process without seeking permission from the police to do so.

This right, he observed, is being flouted always by the police. He made mention of the denial by the police the right of the Renaissance Movement to process on the basis of security.

The SDI chief further disclosed that every citizen has a right to belong to any political party as well as not to belong to any, adding that they also have the right to disagree with government on any issue.

Therefore, he went on, the heavy handed method used against citizens by politicians with the help of the police infringes on the rights of citizens and is not good for any Democracy.

He called on the judiciary to step up on how they deny bail in politically sensitive matters. People, he said, have the right to disagree with what government is doing.